God Rest Ye Merry, Ymir
by Turbotail88
Summary: Among Christmas traditions, carolling is prominent as being a lost cause among busy city folk. However, with the help of Ymir, Krista is determined to try it and spread the Christmas cheer once more! Fluffiness abound, swearing and intimate scenes, AU Ymir/Krista


Late Christmas entry, I know - I really wanted to post this last week but had no opportunity... hope everyone enjoys this piece! :D

x

"God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay!"

Ymir sighed for the tenth time and turned the television up higher as Krista's voice filtered through the kitchen. The blonde was going through all of her Christmas music albums as she cooked their Christmas eve dinner. Really, her voice was angelic, but Ymir thought there was only so much sickening glee she could take in one day.

Luckily enough, she had a television to keep her from bothering Krista too much with her abrasive and pessimistic behaviour. However, all that was playing were old Christmas movies and Christmas-related tv show specials. Ymir scowled as, for the twentieth time, Scrooge had a change of heart and spread his kindness across the town.

Ymir loved the holidays, but - she glanced across the room to the measly tree standing in the corner, two boxes stacked under it neatly - it had more to do with the excitement of opening up her presents rather than some sort of traditional joy.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly-"

"-fa la la la la, la la la la," the brunette grumbled, rubbing a hand down the side of her face. Krista smiled as she chopped carrots, neatly dumping them into her stew.

"'Tis the season to be jolly…" Krista waited for Ymir to respond, but sighed when she didn't, "fa la la la la, la la la la."

"Don we now our gay apparel!"

Krista jumped when Ymir shouted the line behind her, turning around to see the brunette laughing like a maniac, on the floor and rolling around in her amusement. Krista rolled her eyes and finished the song as she turned around to chop the rest of her vegetables. She shivered when she felt a pair of lips press against the side of her neck and released a weak stream of hot air.

"You're not mad, are you? That's my favourite line, you know," Ymir murmured, feeling her mirth break through her sincere worry as her grin cracked out.

Krista didn't answer and ignored Ymir to wash the dishes she had used. Scrubbing the chopping board with a frown, the blonde heard Ymir sigh and move away to sit at the table. She peeked over her shoulder slightly and saw the brunette brood and play with the holiday centrepiece her mother had gotten her the year prior.

"Are your parents coming tonight?" Ymir asked suddenly, sitting straighter. Krista shut the tap and replaced the clean dishes in the dish holder to dry, fingering her wedding band out of nervousness.

"I don't know, I called them several times but the butler told me they were busy. I think they left on a trip and just forgot to tell me," Krista answered with a shrug. Ymir scoffed and crossed her arms, frowning at something across the room. The blonde smiled and moved to sit in her lap, pushing back a few strands of brown hair and cupping Ymir's cheek.

"It's okay that they didn't tell me, I know you don't want them here anyway. You get enough of my family on Thanksgiving and Easter," Krista giggled. Ymir snorted but her frown had faded to an amused smirk.

"Damn straight! I can't stand all this… religious bonding crap. I'm still wondering why you aren't as religious as they are."

"Because I met you," Krista replied with a smile. Ymir laughed outright and smacked the table with her fist.

"Hilarious! Do you think I haven't seen all those debate sites you visit on the computer-"

"Oh my god how did you-"

"You leave it open overnight, squirt. Not my fault I actually _know _how to use a computer."

Krista sputtered and blushed heavily, getting up and stomping back to the stove and trying to remember what was next on the list. With a gasp, she opened the oven and equipped her hands with oven mitts before pulling out the full chicken she'd been cooking for the past half hour. Ymir watched with a wry smile as her wife ran around the kitchen to set up their meal for two. It was evening, and they were fast approaching their preset dinner time.

Ymir drummed her fingers on the table and allowed her mirth to shift to genuine happiness. It was only on holidays such as these that she was allowed time to reflect on her life and all the blessings that came with it. On other days, she was too busy with bills, work, people and trying to keep Krista happy but now…

Krista smiled when Ymir came up behind her and hugged her around her waist. She stirred the stew in her pot and giggled when she felt Ymir's grimace against her neck. "Vegetables, really?"

"It's a tradition."

"When your parents are here."

"Still, Ymir! We always follow traditions for the holidays."

"Well I'm not eating it."

"Fine, more stew for myself then!"

"Careful… wouldn't want you to grow vegetables in your brains," the brunette snickered. She groaned when Krista stepped on her foot but soon quieted when the blonde turned her head to kiss her.

When Krista pulled back both their eyes were hooded and a blush coloured their cheeks, though the blonde's was more apparent. Ymir leaned in for a second kiss, but Krista quickly jumped back and cried out. She had kept her hand over the steam for too long in her distracted state. With tears in her eyes, she clutched her hand to her chest and bit her lip. Ymir blinked and pried Krista's hand to put it to her lips, trailing them over her wedding band and kissing the inside of her wrist.

Ymir moved Krista to the tap and washed her hand under the cold water. The blonde flinched but sighed in relief. The brunette wiped the tears that leaked with her thumbs and leaned down to peck her wife's pouty lips. Krista smiled up at her and Ymir could not control the warmth spreading from her chest as she gazed into Krista's striking blue eyes and the smile she saved for her.

"I love you," Ymir said suddenly, startling Krista. Krista blinked but grinned, reaching up to wrap her arms around her wife's neck and pulling her into a deep kiss. She pulled back and closed her eyes as she leaned her forehead against Ymir's.

"I love you too," Krista murmured, "so much. My heart is beating so fast."

Ymir laughed and buried her face against Krista's neck, feeling her pulse throb just as much as Krista had said. "Yeah, I can feel it."

"Your heart's beating fast too," Krista whispered. There was no sound other than the playful shrieks coming from their neighbours' children and the steady boiling of the water from Krista's vegetable stew.

"Yeah, it is."

They stayed like that for a while, simply feeling each other's presence. Krista pulled back first and smiled up at the brunette, idly tracing her freckles with the tip of her finger before returning to the stove. Ymir rubbed the back of her neck and returned to the living room, trying to fight down the smile and butterflies in her stomach.

x

The following morning, after a delicious dinner and a night spent indulging in passionate endeavours, Krista woke feeling bright, happy and alive. She sat up and fondly watched Ymir breathe as she slept. It was Christmas morning, though oddly enough it felt like any other morning. Maybe it was because she was happy every day she spent with her love, or maybe it was because the magic in the air had faded with their intimate touches and love-filled whispers. Whatever it was, Krista wanted to bring the feeling of Christmas back, and she grinned widely as an idea came to her.

She turned to Ymir and bent down to kiss her before standing from the bed and pulling her robe over her body. Skipping over to the windows, she pulled the curtains to the side and marvelled at the snow covering the neighbourhood. It looked like a white blanket covering the world, keeping them warm and snug in their homes.

The blonde exited their bedroom and entered the kitchen to fix herself a mug of hot chocolate for herself and for Ymir. As she waited for the water to boil in the electric kettle, Krista leaned against the kitchen counter, crossed her arms and allowed her mind to wander to the day she and Ymir first met.

It was close to this time of year, when Krista had been Christmas shopping for her parents. Rushing around the grocery store, aimlessly looking for a decent present that wouldn't make her mother scoff or her father blandly thank her with a strained smile. She tried to please them, but they were impossible to appease, with their golden watches, fine silk clothing and extravagant parties. She loved them, and they loved her, but it was all a matter of getting them something they didn't already have.

And then… Ymir happened. Krista smiled as she recalled the brunette's demeanor at the time. The tall freckled girl had been going through a rough phase in her life, working two jobs to pay her rent and her tuition fees. At the time, she worked as a store employee that Krista had paid a visit to, and the blonde had accidentally bumped into her while on the phone with Sasha.

"Sorry!" Krista apologized hurriedly, getting up and extending a hand after dusting herself off. Ymir grumbled and stood up on her own, returning to the shelf to stack the remaining items.

Krista awkwardly pulled her hand back and ended the call quietly, promising Sasha to talk another time. She fidgeted in her spot for a bit, before approaching the employee. She tugged on her sleeve as she spoke, looking up into surprisingly attractive brown eyes.

"Do you work here?" Krista asked dumbly. She smacked herself mentally and winced when the brunette scoffed and shook her head.

"No, I wear this uniform for fun," she muttered, "but yeah, I do work here. What can I help you with, squirt?"

Krista frowned then and put her hands to her hips. "That's not how you treat paying customers."

"Do you want my help or not? I don't have all day."

"I need to find Christmas presents for my parents, and I was wondering if-"

"Christmas? Fuck Christmas," the employee interrupted rudely, returning to the shelf and stacking boxes of holiday ornaments. She scowled heavily at Krista's disapproving look.

"Look… Ymir… I understand that not everyone likes Christmas, but you don't have to be rude to people that do."

"I wasn't being rude, I was stating my opinion."

The blonde threw her hands up and sighed in exasperation. "Your freedom ends where mine begins. Oh well, it was worth a try… have a nice day, and merry Christmas."

"Whatever."

And Krista had left with a heavy heart, feeling sad that, for the first time ever, she met someone who didn't like Christmas. She had then made it her goal to ensure that Ymir would love the holidays, and came back every day until Christmas at the exact same time to bother the brunette.

At first, Ymir had been hostile and reserved, but she slowly grew more comfortable and secretly enjoyed Krista's visits. Krista enjoyed Ymir's personality, and went to great lengths to see her smile or laugh.

Without either of them noticing, they had fallen for each other.

After Christmas, and then New Year, Ymir had built the courage to ask Krista on a date, and the blonde had agreed after an absurd amount of stuttering. From there, it was all a matter of getting to know each other.

Even now, Krista liked to tease her wife about how she was such a grump when they were younger, which usually led to Ymir rubbing her knuckles roughly across Krista's head and laughing evilly.

Krista turned to the kettle and unplugged it from the wall, pouring the boiling water into two mugs containing cocoa powder. She replaced the kettle and held the mugs as she walked out of the kitchen, intending to go back to the bedroom, but spotted a naked Ymir crouched near the Christmas tree.

"Ymir?"

The brunette jumped and turned to her wife with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I really can't wait. Can we open the presents now?"

"Of course we can!" Krista laughed. She handed Ymir her mug and sat down next to her. However, she simply could not keep her eyes off her lover.

"Aren't you cold?" Krista asked worriedly, running a hand down Ymir's freckled arm and intertwining their fingers. Ymir scoffed and sipped her beverage before setting it down on a nearby table.

"Nah, it's not that cold - you should try it…" As Ymir spoke, she slowly pulled Krista's robe down from her shoulders and trailed her tongue up her neck. The blonde moaned and set down her mug to pull the brunette to her lips for a searing kiss. The robe slipped off her figure and pooled at her waist, forgotten as the couple lost themselves in each other.

x

A few hours after they made love and opened their presents, the couple cuddled together on the couch and listened to the music playing on the radio. So far, only Christmas songs had played, and it reminded Krista of the activity she had wanted to do when she'd woken up that morning. She nuzzled herself further against Ymir's shoulder and tightened the arm around her waist.

"We should go Christmas carolling," Krista piped up quietly, trying to feel her wife's reaction.

"Hell no."

Krista blinked. That was fast. "Aw, Ymir-"

"Krista, do you know how cold it is out there? And kids go carolling, not married adults."

"But we don't have kids, and I really want to go carolling."

"Why don't you carol in the kitchen or something… you did that yesterday while you were cooking."

"It's Christmas! I want to go and spread the holiday cheer. Ymir, it's really not that hard. You don't even have to sing, I just want you there, with me." Krista pouted and crawled into Ymir's lap, sitting up and looking down. Slowly, she leaned forward and began kissing her jaw and pressing their bare breasts together. Ymir grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut before she sighed in defeat.

"You promise I won't have to sing?"

"Promise!"

"Alright, let's go. Get dressed and grab your coat."

"Yay! Thank you, Ymir, we'll have loads of fun, trust me!" Krista exclaimed, pressing her lips to Ymir's for a brief kiss before sliding off her lap and skipping off. Ymir watched her go with a small smile.

Sometimes, it felt like they had just started dating, because Ymir was still getting to know Krista after six years of being together. It was an exciting and wonderful feeling.

x

Krista grinned widely and stuck to Ymir's side as they walked through their neighbourhood. The neighbours had thankfully shovelled the sidewalk, including Ymir after Krista prodded and forced her to while threatening her with a booklet of Christmas carols.

Ymir felt rather smug when she saw their bulky neighbour - who was so in love with Krista - fume so much that she swore she saw the snow melt at his feet. Hiding her grin behind her scarf, Ymir tugged her wife closer to her and stuck her tongue out over Krista's head. Reiner raged to himself and snapped his shovel in half over his knee, collapsing on the snow with a shout of agony. Ymir quickly whisked Krista away further down the road, spotting a black-haired man tending to the blond before they turned a corner.

"Ymir, what was-"

"So, where do you wanna start?" Ymir interrupted, grinning shakily and pushing Krista along.

Krista tilted her head to the side but her eyes sparkled happily at Ymir's question. "Well, I want to go to Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman-"

"Mikasa's parents?"

"Yes! Because Mikasa mentioned how much they love traditions, and I feel that it would be best to start with people we know."

"How far away do they live?"

"Just a little further down the block."

"Alright, have fun, squirt."

Krista puffed up her cheeks at the nickname but walked ahead of Ymir, turning to the right to go down the path leading up to the Ackermans' home. Krista shakily opened up her carols' book and knocked on the ornament-filled door. Peeking through the windows, Krista noticed the Christmas tree set up and heavily decorated, as well as the stockings placed above the fireplace and the fruit cake sitting on the coffee table. It made her smile and renewed her courage. Surely, they would love it!

Mr. Ackerman opened the door and blinked when he saw Krista shivering and grinning with her booklet. Looking past her, he saw Ymir leaning against the white picket fence he had put up with Mikasa's help one summer afternoon. He raised an eyebrow at the brunette's blank look, and returned his gaze to Krista.

"Hello, Krista! Looking for Mikasa?" he asked joyously.

"No, sir, I'm Christmas carolling for the holidays, and I was wondering if-"

"Honey, we have a Christmas caroler!"

"Oh, do we?"

Mrs. Ackerman appeared at the doorway, drying her hands in a towel and smiling up at her husband. She looked at Krista and her hand went to her mouth in surprise. "Oh, Krista! It's so nice to see you! Where's Ymir?"

"Ymir is waiting for me at the fence, she doesn't want to sing with me."

"Of course," Mrs. Ackerman laughed, "she was always a grump."

"But she's gotten better!" Krista defended, wanting to put her wife in a good light, "and she's not as mean as she used to be."

"I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sure she is a very loving and attentive wife."

"She is…" Krista murmured, blushing, "b-but that's not why I'm here! I wanted to go Christmas carolling and I thought this would be the perfect place to start."

"You don't think you're too old for it?" Mr. Ackerman asked, mirth coating his voice. Mrs. Ackerman pinched the back of his neck and he yelped in pain, sighing and muttering an apology under his breath.

"Ymir said the same thing," Krista sighed. She straightened and frowned, a determined look on her face. "But I'm going to prove her wrong!"

The Ackermans exchanged an amused look, then smiled warmly at the blonde. No matter how old she got, she would always resemble the little girl who came knocking on their door one chilly February morning, teddy bear clutched in one hand and birthday invitation in the other.

"Then go ahead," Mr. Ackerman encouraged gently, "sing to us the joy of Christmas."

Krista nodded happily and opened her booklet, knowing exactly which song the Ackermans would love to hear. As she gleefully chanted _Gloria, in excelsis deo, _Ymir's eyes softened and she closed her eyes to fully take in the melodious voice bringing peace to the hearts of listeners. The Ackermans embraced and leaned against each other, feeling warm as they were reminded of the many times they brought Mikasa, along with Eren and Armin, Christmas carolling all over the neighbourhood.

As Krista moved on to the twelve days of Christmas, Ymir decided she should stop her there so they could move on. She approached the blonde and set an arm around her shoulders, nodding at the Ackermans and tugging Krista along.

"C'mon, squirt, we've got a lot of houses to cover if you wanna spread the Christmas cheer. Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman, and merry Christmas."

Krista waved behind her and shouted her merry Christmas as well, the Ackermans marvelling over Ymir's relatively polite behaviour. With a merry Christmas of their own, they re-entered their home with a light feeling in their hearts.

"So, where to next?" Ymir asked.

"The next house!"

"Alright…"

Their morning passed in this way, going from house to house and Krista singing her heart out to those willing to listen. Some shut her away, others welcomed her and even a few sang with her before thanking her and giving her sweets to carry home. Ymir very much enjoyed the sweets, however the blonde warned her she would have to sing if she continued to eat them.

Soon enough, they had made the whole round of their neighbourhood and it was fast approaching the late afternoon. There was only one house left, and Krista was currently going up the steps on knocking on the door. The blonde turned her head to smile at her wife, and Ymir waved back with a smile of her own. When Krista turned back around, Ymir sighed and slumped her head forward. To be frank, the brunette was exhausted.

All Ymir wanted to do at that moment was soak in a warm bath with Krista tucked against her. The thought made her drool slightly, imagining Krista's porcelain skin brushing against her own freckled tan, her angelic voice ringing out incoherent syllables that drove Ymir's pulse mad…

Ymir blinked when she heard a door slam harshly, followed by rapid, heavy steps and a body colliding with her own. She looked down and felt her heart clench at the sight of Krista burying her face in her coat, her body shuddering in an effort to hold back her tears. Krista had dropped her booklet in the snow, and Ymir bent over to retrieve it, kissing the top of Krista's head and hugging her wife to her chest. Without even asking, she knew what had happened, and it seriously pissed her off.

Krista was going out of her way to wish all these sorry excuses for human beings a goddamn merry Christmas, and singing to them, free of charge, and they just slam the door in her face like it's a way of thanking her? No way. No fucking way was Ymir going to let this one get away with it, because he made Krista _cry_.

The brunette breathed heavily to control her temper as she comforted the blonde, and told her to wait for her by the fence. Krista blinked up at her wife with teary eyes and her bottom lip shuddered as she asked Ymir what she wanted to do.

"I'm gonna wish that asshole a merry Christmas, that's what," Ymir grit through her teeth with a strained smile.

"Ymir, no, I know what you really want to do and-"

"Save it, Krista! This ungrateful ass insulted _my wife_ on Christmas, and you expect me to sit back and let him? Hell to the no! I'm gonna wish him a merry fucking Christmas he'll never forget, and then I'll-"

"You used to be like that too, you know." Krista interrupted, fidgeting and sniffling, "you used to hate Christmas."

Ymir pressed her lips together and swiveled around to grab the blonde's shoulders, looking into her eyes meaningfully. "I hated it 'cause I had no one to share it with - but I have you now, don't I?" she grumbled, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Krista smiled up at her gratefully. She grabbed one of the brunette's hands and pressed it to her lips. "You'll have me forever," she promised quietly, her sniffles gone, "so let's just go home and forget about this mess, okay?"

"But-"

"Ymir, it's Christmas, and I want to spend it with you, not watching you give someone else a hard time. Please?"

Ymir sighed and gently pushed Krista along in the direction of their home. "Fine, fine… let's go, squirt."

Later in the evening, when Ymir sat in the bath with Krista curled against her body, dazed and sleepy, the brunette smiled softly to herself. There was no way she was letting that man go, and she made a mental note to visit the grocery store for some supply stocking. She bent her head and enveloped her lover with another searing kiss that made them both squirm and gasp in excitement.

Beyond the bathroom door, the radio sighed as it went through another round of Christmas tunes, ending the night with _God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen._


End file.
